The COVID 19 pandemic has led to a worldwide debate on rebuilding the lost relationship of humans with the nature. Since the dawn of the Industrial revolution, coupled with an exponential population explosion followed by green revolution, a systematic harm has been done to the environment leading to the present climate change.
The Green revolution has had a tremendous contribution in meeting the food scarcity of the late sixties, however, the over usage of fertilizers has adversely impacted the soil character. Today the crops have become fertiliser sensitive and are completely dependent on the external support system, thereby losing their natural relationship with the soil.
The high input agriculture is unsustainable, says MS Swaminathan, advocating the need for a sustainable production system which he calls an “Evergreen revolution”. By the time the crops reach our homes in the form of eatable food it has already undergone multiple processes which unfortunately reduce its nutritive value. Hence, enhancement and maintenance of agricultural productivity and quality is essential for sustainable agriculture. Organic farming seems to be the real solution to the problem.
Organic farming as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) “is a system which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetic inputs (such as fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, feed additives etc) and to the maximum extent feasible rely upon crop rotations, crop residues, animal manures, off farm organic waste, mineral grade rock additives, and biological system of nutrient mobilization and plant protection”.
Major components of organic farming include:
Crop Rotation
Biological manure made of plant animal and human residues
Bio-fertilizers
Bio-pesticides of secondary metabolites
Vermicompost. These components ensure continuous and stable soil fertility, increased diversity of microbes, increased carbon sequestration and reduced energy dependence.
Other than environmental sustainability, organic farming has economic benefits as well. Organic products have a huge market and demand in the first world thereby holding immense potential in the export business. India currently produces around 1.70 million MT of certified organic products mainly oilseeds, pulses, cereals, cotton, tea, coffee, fruits etc with Madhya Pradesh being the largest producer.
Other benefits of going organic include better health, cost effectiveness and labour intensiveness. A recent study has indicated that the cost of organic production was about 22 percent lower than those under the conventional farming.
Despite its colossal benefits, organic farming is still in its nascent stage in India because of the associated challenges which mainly comprises low crop yield during the first three years of conversion period, lack of policy support, inadequate market research and inadequate agriculture market infrastructure.
Therefore, an effective and meticulously designed policy, effective branding through professionals, organic certification, employing of modern technologies, contract farming, collectivization of farmers for access to credit and inputs must be put into action.
The government’s initiatives like national programme for organic production, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, and Participatory Guarantee System are welcome steps in this direction. An integrated effort is needed by government and the civil society with active people’s participation to adopt organic farming as a solution to food demand while conserving the soil and fighting climate change correspondingly.
The author is an Environmentalist